Editing Magnolia (section)

====Recent====
With the number of species increasing, the genus was divided into two subgenera, ''Magnolia'' and ''Yulania''. ''Magnolia'' contains the American evergreen species ''M. grandiflora'', which is of horticultural importance, especially in the southeastern United States, and ''M. virginiana'', the [[type species]]. ''Yulania'' contains several deciduous Asiatic species, such as ''M. denudata'' and ''M. kobus'', which have become horticulturally important in their own right and as parents in [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]]. Classified in ''Yulania'' is also the American deciduous ''M. acuminata'' (cucumber tree), which has recently attained greater status as the parent responsible for the yellow flower color in many new hybrids.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Relations in the family Magnoliaceae have puzzled taxonomists for a long time. Because the family is quite old and has survived many geological events (such as ice ages, mountain formation, and continental drift), its distribution has become scattered. Some species or groups of species have been isolated for a long time, while others could stay in close contact. To create divisions in the family (or even within the genus ''Magnolia'') solely based upon morphological characters has proven to be a nearly impossible task.<ref group=lower-alpha>In 1927 J.E. Dandy accepted 10 genera in ''The genera of Magnoliaceae'', ''Kew Bulletin 1927'': 257–264. In 1984 Law Yuh-Wu proposed 15 in ''A preliminary study on the taxonomy of the family Magnoliaceae'', ''Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica'' 22: 89–109; in 2004 even 16, in ''Magnolias of China''. This is not just about grouping some genera together where others do not; authors often choose different boundaries.</ref>

By the end of the 20th century, [[DNA sequencing]] had become available as a method of large-scale research on [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetic relationships]]. Several studies, including studies on many species in the family Magnoliaceae, were carried out to investigate relationships.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Azuma |first1=H. |last2=Thien |first2=L.B. |last3=Kawano |first3=S. |year=1999 |title=Molecular phylogeny of ''Magnolia'' (Magnoliaceae) inferred from cpDNA sequences and evolutionary divergence of the floral scents |journal=Journal of Plant Research |volume=112 |issue=1107 |pages=291–306 |doi=10.1007/pl00013885 |bibcode=1999JPlR..112..291A |s2cid=206862607}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Azuma |first1=H. |last2=García-Franco |first2=J.G. |last3=Rico-Gray |first3=V. |last4=Thien |first4=L.B. |year=2001 |title=Molecular phylogeny of the Magnoliaceae: the biogeography of tropical and temperate disjunctions |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=88 |issue=12 |pages=2275–2285 |doi=10.2307/3558389 |pmid=21669660 |jstor=3558389 |doi-access=|bibcode=2001AmJB...88.2275A }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=S. |display-authors=etal |year=2001 |title=Phylogenetic relationships in family Magnoliaceae inferred from ndhF sequences |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=88 |issue=4 |pages=717–728 |doi=10.2307/2657073 |jstor=2657073 |pmid=11302859}}</ref> What these studies all revealed was that the genus ''[[Michelia]]'' and ''Magnolia'' subgenus ''Yulania'' were far more closely allied to each other than either one of them was to ''Magnolia'' subgenus ''Magnolia''. These phylogenetic studies were supported by morphological data.<ref>Figlar, R.B. (2000), Proleptic branch initiation in ''Michelia'' and ''Magnolia'' subgenus ''Yulania'' provides basis for combinations in subfamily Magnolioideae. In: Liu Yu-hu et al., ''Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Family Magnoliaceae'': 14–25, Science Press, Beijing.</ref>

As [[nomenclature]] is supposed to reflect relationships, the situation with the species names in ''Michelia'' and ''Magnolia'' subgenus ''Yulania'' was undesirable. Taxonomically, three choices are available:

# to join ''Michelia'' and ''Yulania'' species in a common genus, not being ''Magnolia'' (for which the name ''Michelia'' has priority);
# to raise subgenus ''Yulania'' to generic rank, leaving ''Michelia'' names and subgenus ''Magnolia'' names untouched, or;
# to join ''Michelia'' with the genus ''Magnolia'' into the genus ''Magnolia'' [[sensu (taxonomy)|s.l.]] (a big genus).

''Magnolia'' subgenus ''Magnolia'' cannot be renamed because it contains ''M. virginiana'', the type species of the genus and of the family.

Not many ''Michelia'' species have so far become horticulturally or economically important, apart from their wood. Both subgenus ''Magnolia'' and subgenus ''Yulania'' include species of major horticultural importance, and a change of name would be very undesirable for many people, especially in the horticultural branch. In Europe, ''Magnolia'' is even more or less a synonym for ''Yulania'', since most of the cultivated species on this continent have ''Magnolia (Yulania) denudata'' as one of their parents. Most taxonomists who acknowledge close relations between ''Yulania'' and ''Michelia'' therefore support the third option and join ''Michelia'' with ''Magnolia''.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The same goes, ''mutatis mutandis'', for the (former) genera ''[[Talauma]]'' and ''Dugandiodendron'', which are then placed in subgenus ''Magnolia'', and genus ''[[Manglietia]]'', which could be joined with subgenus ''Magnolia'' or may even earn the status of an extra subgenus. ''[[Elmerrillia]]'' seems to be closely related to ''Michelia'' and ''Yulania'', in which case it will most likely be treated in the same way as ''Michelia'' is now. The precise nomenclatural status of small or monospecific genera like ''Kmeria'', ''Parakmeria'', ''Pachylarnax'', ''Manglietiastrum'', ''Aromadendron'', ''Woonyoungia'', ''Alcimandra'', ''Paramichelia'', and ''Tsoongiodendron'' remains uncertain. Taxonomists who merge ''Michelia'' into ''Magnolia'' tend to merge these small genera into ''Magnolia'' s.l. as well. Botanists do not agree on whether to recognize a big ''Magnolia'' or the different small genera. For example, ''Flora of China'' offers two choices: a large genus ''Magnolia'', which includes about 300 species and everything in the [[Magnoliaceae]] except ''[[Liriodendron]]'' (tulip tree), or 16 different genera, some of them recently split out or re-recognized, each of which contains up to 50 species.<ref name="china">[http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=10530 4. Magnoliaceae], ''Flora of China''</ref> The western co-author favors the big genus ''Magnolia'', whereas the Chinese recognize the different small genera.

New species of ''Magnolia'' are still being discovered today. In 2014, researchers discovered ''Magnolia vargasiana'' and ''Magnolia llangantensis'' in Ecuador’s Cordillera Llanganates, within the Río Zuñac Reserve at 2000 meters elevation. The Río Zuñac Reserve is a privately protected conservation area in Ecuador, managed by the EcoMinga Foundation. This newly identified tree species grows between 11 and 26 meters tall and features sub-orbicular leaves, creamy white petals, and a pollination system involving flea beetles. Found during a vegetation survey, its limited distribution and low population density place it at risk of extinction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Antonio Vázquez-García |first=José |date=July 17, 2015 |title=Magnolia vargasiana (Magnoliaceae), a new Andean species and a key to Ecuadorian species of subsection Talauma, with notes on its pollination biology |url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Magnolia-vargasiana-Flowering-timing-A-Day-zero-0D-female-phase-1649-hrs-B-0D_fig3_280100559}}</ref>